Batman: The Killing Mite
by Batman'slastlaugh
Summary: What if the Joker were to raise Bruce after his parents' deaths? Bat-Mite, Batman's number one fan, is curious to find the answer to this question.


The crowd came spilling out onto the wet black cobblestone street outside the large movie theater. The people were abuzz with talk about the new _Zorro_ movie they had just seen. As the crowd emerged, the rain started to pick up again and large cracks of lighting lit up the sky. Among the rabble walked a young boy and his parents. The father opened up a large black umbrella and led his family down a secluded alley by the movie theater. The boy jumped and skipped behind his parents as he fought invisible criminals like the great masked hero Zorro. He never noticed the man that emerged from the deep shadows of the grime covered alley in front of his parents. He did, however, notice the gun and the yelling of the man wanting his father's wallet. The boy had stopped skipping and was clutching onto his mother's side. He was old enough to know that his family was being robbed. The young boy's father calmly pulled out his wallet and asked the criminal not to harm his family. The hasty criminal ignored the father and turned the gun towards the mother. He also wanted the large pearl necklace that hung daintily around her neck. She hastily took off the necklace and with a shaking hand held it before the man from the shadows. He forcefully took it from her causing the thin thread to rip and the pearls to fly across the cement of the alley. Spooked, the man shot the woman. The young boy, with horror in his eyes, watched helplessly as his mother fell to the ground by his feet. His father leaped for the criminal, but the robber was faster and shot again. The man then aimed it at the boy, but he could not get himself to shoot the kid. He instead ran out of the alley and slipped back into the darkness, leaving the child with nothing but the echo of the shots. The child, in shock, fell to his knees and looked at the lifeless corpses. The blood of his parents combined with the rain water drenched his pants. He began to scream but then his body shook with choked sobs as the grief of death encompassed his body.

"Bo-o-oring, I've seen this interpretation too many times to count! It is just so cliché nowadays. Where is the big baddy super villain? Where are the explosions?"

Time froze and the whole scene stops. The young boy was stuck in an eternal scream to the heavens. With a loud pop, a small imp appeared next to the boy. He was in a small blue Batman suit with long pointed elf-like shoes. The right ear of the cowl was bent, and where the familiar bat symbol would be, was a black lightning bolt. This imp like creature is known as Bat-Mite, Batman's number one fan. Bat-Mite, with a frustrated look on his face, turned to the frozen boy. "Bruce Wayne, the boy who would one day turn into the greatest crime fighter of all time. BATMAN! I know this is tragic, but what if we could make it more tragic!" Bat-Mite floated upwards and turned upside down while never taking his eyes off young Wayne. "I've got it!" He exclaimed. "Who is your biggest baddest enemy?" He asked no one in particular, "Well the Joker, of course! What if we let the clown prince of slime shake things up?"

Bat-Mite snapped his fingers and a large movie theater chair appeared next to him. He pulled out a bucket of popcorn, hopped onto the chair, and snapped his fingers one last time. With a large flash, the world started to rewind back to when Bruce and his parents entered the alley. Just like before a man jumped out, but this time the man was laughing hysterically. He pulled out a comically large pistol, and did not ask for any money. Instead, while laughing, he shot both of Bruce's parents. The young Wayne ran over to his father and grabbed his hand. With his last breath, his father whispered one word to the boy, "Run." But before Bruce had a chance to follow his father's dying wish, the Joker grabbed him and threw him over his shoulder. As he was being picked up, Bruce was able to slip a ring off his father's finger. Joker carried the screaming young boy to a large van with a clown's face spray painted on the side. "Now this should be good!" Bat-Mite exclaimed as he leaned farther back in his chair.

The Wayne family of Gotham was one of the richest families in the city. They had power and influence over the city, and were seen as kind people who were always doing charity work. They were the light in the ever darkening Gotham. The Joker knew this, and that was the motive behind their murder, as well as, the kidnap of their child. He wanted to prove that even the kindest and most upstanding individuals can succumb to evil. This was the Joker's biggest prank on the city. He was a genius and extremely meticulous about his plan. He knew that the young Bruce Wayne would be recognized in Gotham, so he took him to the Middle East. The Joker turned an abandoned oil refinery into a torture compound. He then spent the next seven years torturing the child. Every week he would place Bruce in a small room that was painted white and was completely barren except for a small metal table. On the table, a small handgun rested mockingly. Every time Bruce entered the room- there was another person tied up on the opposite side. The new person was always scared and struggling to get out of his or her bindings. The Joker's haughty voice would come on over an intercom and tell Wayne to shoot the other individual. And every time, Bruce would not comply. This enraged the Joker because it was taking him so long to corrupt the boy. As punishment, he would take Bruce and torture him. Bruce was subjected to rooms filled with snakes and spiders. He was water boarded and chased by wild dogs. However, Wayne never cracked. He stood his ground against the horrors forced upon him. The only torture that actually terrified him was when the Joker locked him in a room full of bats. He would hold onto his father's ring and vow in the darkest nights to get his revenge. The ring was his only anchor to sanity. It was engraved with the Wayne family crest and when he looked at it- memories of his parents surfaced to the front of his mind. Over the years, he forgot the memories of his parents, but he could always remember the happiness and the warmth associated with them.

"Jeez, this is getting pretty boring. Let's speed this along!"

Bat-Mite never watched the scenes of Bruce's torture, but he would allow it to happen. He kept hoping that Bruce would escape, but after the constant let down, he began to get bored. Fast forward two years to see if the child had somehow escaped, but when it was revealed he did not, Bat-Mite decided then that just this one time he would help Bruce. He decided to steal the key to Wayne's room from the Joker. "Woops! Who put this key here? It would be such a shame if Bruce were to get his hands on this. Such a shame," Bat-Mite mused. Staying invisible, he dropped the key in front of Bruce. Bruce jumped and looked around the room. He did not see anyone so he picked up the key. He realized then this might be his only chance for freedom. He unlocked the door and ran out of the oil rig into the desert. He ran as far as he could down an old sandy road. After years of being locked up, he was weak, and collapsed after a few miles. Fortunately, a caravan passed by and, out of pity, took him to a local town.

Bruce spent the next few years on the streets of this town stealing from the local bazaar. He became extremely crafty, and easily stole from food stalls and customers alike. He was never caught until he tried to steal from a wealthy customer. Bruce saw an older man who wore many gold rings. The boy decided to pickpocket the man and actually was able to steal his wallet. He ran to a close by alley where he usually takes his treasures. Wayne did not realize he was being followed. The man followed Bruce to the alley, and with lightning speed agility, pinned Bruce to the wall. Bruce kicked the man's foot to try and escape. It worked and the man loosened his grip enough on Bruce that he escaped his hold. He took the chance and ran, but the mysterious man caught up to him. The man swept Bruce's legs, and he fell harshly to the ground. Before the boy could stand up, he pulled a dagger out of his pocket and put it to Bruce's throat. The gruff old man kindly asked for his wallet back and Bruce quickly obliged. The man asked the boy what his name was, and Bruce begrudgingly responded. He then told Bruce that his name was Ra's Al Ghul, and was impressed in Bruce's ability to steal from him. "Lesser men have tried to steal from me and have lost their hands for it. You actually surprised me for a moment," Ra's stated. He asked Bruce if he would like to join his league, explaining how he trained exceptional young men like him and could give him a place to live. Bruce realizing that the power this man had could help him get his revenge on Joker, agreed.

For the next few years, Wayne quickly rose through the ranks in the league. The training was grueling and pushed his limits, but he always prevailed and eventually mastered the training. He stood out among the other new recruits. Ra's became even more impressed with Bruce and kept his eyes on him. Bruce graduated the training and was inducted into full member. Ra's tried to send Bruce on an assassination mission, but Bruce refused, stating he would only murder the Joker. Ra's respected his vendetta, and promoted him to the elite position as one of his bodyguards. As he served this position, he became very close to Al Ghul's daughter, Talia. Talia was one of her father's top assassins. They secretly started a relationship. Through the years on the streets and in the league, Bruce kept his father's ring. It was what he treasured most, and he always kept it with him.

As he did most of the time now, Bruce spent the night with Talia. In the morning, as he was getting dressed, he started to panic. He could not find his father's ring. Talia told him that she tried it on the night before, and accidentally lost it. She knew the importance of the ring and apologized. She told him she would get him a new ring. Bruce became enraged. The one thing that kept him sane was now lost. He no longer had the connection to happiness. All of Joker's torture came flooding back to the front of his mind, and in his rage, he brutally murdered Talia. Bruce no longer was himself and started laughing. He laughed as he ran out of the League's complex. When he finally stopped laughing, he realized he could never go back to the league. He decided to go back home to Gotham. He had been tracking the Joker and had known that he had returned to the city. He had not gone after him before because he had not wanted to leave Talia and the league. However, his torture was all he could think of now so the Joker's face haunted him at all times.

Bruce returned home, and after multiple DNA tests proving he was the long lost son of the Waynes, he was able to reclaim his fortune and move into the abandoned Wayne manor. He was charming and calm around the socialites of Gotham, but at night he would let his insanity run rampant as he stalked the streets of Gotham. He saw how his great city of Gotham had fallen to crime, and decided to do something about it. In his now twisted sense of justice, he found petty criminals and murdered them. Bat-Mite, who observed these murders from his comfy chair, began to grow concerned. However, he would rationalize them by saying that Bruce was just a darker version of himself, and regardless, was still fighting crime. "Frank Miller eat your heart out. My Batman is much darker and cooler than yours," Bat-Mite snickered. Bruce quickly learned that Ra's was enraged at the death of his daughter. And as a result, sent his most elite assassins after him.

Bruce was at his manor training late one the night when he heard a shatter of glass on the floor above him. He ran up the stairs as three assassins overtook him. They fought a vicious battle, but Bruce won. He buried the bodies later that night. Wayne was furious and wanted to be feared. He looked deep in himself to what scared him the most, and remembered the bat torture that the Joker had put him through. He decided to create a suit that would resemble a bat to scare his enemies, and maybe even as a message to instill fear into the man who had taken everything from him. In this new suit, he continued fighting and murdering criminals. He finally had an outlet for his insanity. The time had finally come. He wanted to fight the Joker and cement his terror over the city. He found the Joker's hideout and snuck in. He waited patiently and quietly watched the Joker- waiting for the right time to pounce. The Joker had no idea he was being watched. Bruce, now known as Batman, jumped down and landed on top of the Joker. Laughing like the Joker use to, he ended the Joker's life. "I guess I had the last laugh, clown," Batman sneered.

At the Gotham department across town from the Wayne manor, detective Gordon steps outside the precinct to see what was all the raucous. By the side of the building, the head of the Joker sat on the ground with an eternal grin and lifeless eyes. Written in blood on the wall behind the head read: _Fear the Bat._

In the Middle East, Ra's Al Ghul was furious that his assassins had failed. He decided to call on two Gotham locals whom he believed could defeat Bruce. The first was the mercenary Deathstroke, a United States military super soldier who went rogue. He had a reputation for never failing a mission he was assigned. Ra's convinced him very easily by bribing him with a large sum of money to go after Bruce. The second individual was Mr. Freeze. Mr. Freeze was a brilliant scientist trying to save the life of his beloved wife. She had fallen sick, and so Freeze put her in a cryogenic sleep. He now uses a large freeze ray to rob banks for more money to fund his research to save his wife's life. Ra's Al Ghul had a perfect solution for Freeze. If Freeze captured or killed Bruce, he would give him access to the Lazarus Pit. A mystical pit Ra's has that had the power to rejuvenate even the sickest individual. Both mercenaries seized the opportunity and started their hunt for Bruce.

Bruce learned of Ra's Al Ghul's new plan and decided to set a trap for both Deathstroke and Mr. Freeze. He left false clues for both of them, and lead them both to an old abandoned warehouse by the Gotham docks. Bruce led them to believe that he went there by himself for a secret gambling game. When they arrived, the warehouse was empty. They were surprised to see each other and started arguing over how they both got the information to come here, little did they know that Batman was lurking in the shadows. As they argued, Batman emerged with the grace and surprise that paralleled the Joker years before, and attacked Deathsroke. Deathstroke was caught off guard, but quickly regained his equilibrium and went into a tango of flying fists and feet with Batman. Mr. Freeze stayed out of the fight because he realized he could not go toe to toe with Batman, but kept his freeze ray ready for the chance to shoot him. They were both confused as to what creature they were actually fighting. Deathstroke caught Batman with a right hook to the jaw and Batman retreated a few feet. He reached into his belt and pulled out two batarangs. He launched them at Deathstoke, and they entrenched themselves deep in his chest. Deathstroke staggered back from the pain, and Batman used the chance to get the advantage over him. He began to beat Deathstroke down. With each blow he landed, a large crack would reverberate through the warehouse. Mr. Freeze realized that this was a lost fight and slipped out of the warehouse while Batman was distracted. It did not take long for Batman to realize that he had left. He finished off Deathstroke and hurriedly left the building.

Mr. Freeze ran for blocks until he felt like he was a safe distance from the warehouse. He stopped to catch his breath, and then began walking back to the hideout. He did not realize Batman following him using the rooftops above him. Finally, he reached the large doors of the ice cream factory that had been empty for fifty years, and went into the basement and opened the large walk-in freezer. Within the freezer, the large cryogenic tank of his wife rested. He went over to the tank and checked her vital signs. Relieved that they were still normal, he touched the glass that barred him from his beloved. He vowed like he did every night that he would find a cure, even if it was the last thing he did. As he started to take off his battle suit, Batman slipped into the freezer. He had overheard Mr. Freeze talking to his wife, and he knew how to hurt Freeze. While Freeze's back was turned, Batman crept up to the tank.

The shattering of glass made Mr. Freeze jump and turn around. His heart sank into the purest form of despair. He watched as all of the fluid came rushing out of his beloved's tank. Her body slumped to the floor where the shards of glass had landed. He knew in an instant that she was dead. The next thing he noticed was the stark laughter coming from the man who murdered his wife. Batman whispered one word to Mr. Freeze, a word that sent a chill through his already cold body.

"Run."

But before Mr. Freeze could run, time stopped. Bat-Mite stared in horror. Batman had killed an innocent. The one thing he knew that made Batman who he was, was his protection of the innocent. "What have I done? This is too dark of a Batman. Batman would never harm an innocent. I read his diary, and that is the number one thing he mentions. Other than his weird leather fetish, but now is not the time to think about that!" Bat-Mite thought out loud. He had to fix the damage he had reeked. With a snap of his fingers, a pair of goggles appeared over his eyes and his chair grew a driving wheel. He grabbed on and with another snap of his fingers, was soon zooming back into the past. His chair disappeared with a large pop as he reached the moment before the Waynes entered the alley. For the final time, he snapped his fingers, and changes the Joker back into the original criminal. "Now my Batman will be back to normal. I guess it is cliché, but at least this tragedy creates the coolest hero in history," he exclaimed. With a large sigh, Bat-Mite stretched and yawned, "I need a nap."


End file.
